Views from Point Breeze

There are some people who don't know what to do after their fifteen minutes of fame have elapsed.  After groundbreaking performances in Clueless and Single Ladies, Stacey is becoming know for her conservative viewpoints.  She once supported Barak Obama but switched parties to back Mitt Romney in 2013.  She now has a recurring role as an Analyst on the Fox News Channel.  Her recent comments about getting rid of BET and the NAACP image awards have some people questioning who she really is. On paper she is an African American.  She has hazel eyes and a beautiful face.  She might otherwise be considered and airhead though.  When I was younger I used to love watching videos on BET.  Even though MTV had a rap segment, there was nothing like some serious soul videos when the mood arose.  I also used to enjoy watching Ed Gordon as he relayed information about world events.  The hit series Being Mary Jane found a home on BET.  Brandy has ...

The last novel that I read that was based in Baltimore was The Baltimore Chronicles. This novel took us from an opening scene in Africa over 500 years ago. The gods of Egypt played a role as the story unfolded. Their was unmistakable chemistry between two of the main characters, Assefa and Sanura, that led to memorable scenes in the book. Danger lurked in the form of creatures in the search of blood of a certain species. I loved the writing style of the author. I learned some things about the expulsion of European settlers from Africa based on the novel. I cannot wait to read the next installment of the trilogy. As I am embarking on a quest to write a novel, it helps to be able to read the work of other Authors.  The website: www.goodreads.com  is an awesome source of individuals like myself who enjoy a good novel.  I invited my good friend, Troy Johnson, the author of The Lighter Side of Darkness, to join the group.  It didn't surprise me that he already had num...

Last night I attended a workshop conducted by the Urban League Next Philadelphia group.  It is a network of young professionals in the 21 - 44 year old range that are reaching out to individuals to inform them about the process of becoming a Delegate for the Democratic Party when the national convention is held in July of this year.  I learned a lot about the process and I am considering pursuing an opportunity to be among the thousands who will nominate our next Presidential candidate. The overview of the process from the Pennsylvania Democrats was given by Bradley Kirsch who is the Chairman of the State Committee Senior Caucus.  The event was held at the office of 1199C on Locust Street.  Potential candidates have to submit a pledge form to a specific candidate.  I pledged to support Hillary Clinton.  I would like to find out more about Martin O'Malley as the process moves forward with the state caucuses.  Mr. Kirsch mentioned that one of the obje...

Why do many things that imply doom have to be Black.  Not getting racial here.  We have Black Friday as the day after Thanksgiving.  Many people have taken this to another level by trampling on folks while trying to get the best deal on a Cabbage Patch kid or some other whim.  I fail to understand how someone can leave the comfort of their home to enter a hostile crowd in search of a bargain.  The newest chromatically associated day is Black Monday.  It is the day after the NFL regular season ends and refers to the blood letting, figuratively, associated with coaches losing their jobs as teams continual to search for the Super Bowl solution. In Philadelphia, Jeffrey Lurie did not wait for Black Monday to exercise his power to implement change.  Chip Kelly was let go on the Tuesday before Black Monday.  The owner indicated that he had never experienced a season as frustrating as this one.  The Thanksgiving day game, in w...

I was impressed yesterday by the President when he made a sincere effort to regulate guns sales in this country.  We are beset by gun deaths and the constant carnage not just in cities but throughout the country.  On Atlantic.com it is reported that we will suffer almost 33,000 deaths by gunfire in 2015.  The mass shootouts that occurred in Oregon, California and New York dull in comparison.  The President became emotional when referring to the Sandy Hook massacre.  Philadelphia has a steady level of shootings that people have become numb too.  A man was shot numerous times on the El steps in West Philly but that will not make a blip in the national headlines.  The present standoff in Oregon is presenting an interesting backdrop early in the New Year. It seems as though the current Oregon standoff was initiated by a militia that is upset over the fact that the federal government, in the form of the Bureau of Land Management, owns too much land for t...